Awakenings from Then ’til Now allows you to Embrace Your Past, Empower the Present, Enrich Your Future.

Welcome to Awakenings

Life IS history in the making. Every word we say, everything we do becomes history the moment it is said or done. Life void of memories leaves nothing but emptiness. For those who might consider history boring, think again: It is who we are, what we do and why we are here. We are certainly individuals in our thoughts and deeds but we all germinated from seeds planted long, long ago.

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Remembering Pearl Harbor

The numbers of those who remember the sights, sounds, smells of world war, our veterans of WWII, are dwindling. Those who did survive returned home never to be the same, never to lose the memory of the horrors of war. Today, thoughts reflect back upon one of the defining moments in American history...a day that will live in infamy!

He was there...

His hearing is nearly gone, but the memories of the attack 73 years ago today are still fresh in Jim Carter's mind.Carter, 93, of Republic, might be the Ozarks' last surviving veteran of
Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Wife Helen said he rarely
talks about what he went through. But late last week Carter, a Navy
airplane mechanic on Ford Island in 1941, opened up briefly about that
terrible day. Read the entire story...

Relive the Event...

The day: calm and sunny. The people: going about their daily routines.The
event: a pivotal moment in America’s
history.

USS Arizona (BB-39)
during the attackSource: www.en.wikipedia.org

It was sunny, clear to partly cloudy skies, no different than most any other day with a calmness that rests on a Sunday. The view looking upward resembled a pastel canvas with patches of white scattered about reflective of someone dropping a paintbrush. Unbeknownst to the early risers or those still sleeping in their beds, the brightness of morning was soon to be reduced to ashes of grey.

There was no warning…

What
happened at 7:55 AM on December 7, 1941 pierced the calmness, deafening the
scene with what can only be described as dastardly. Can you imagine the sound of alarms ripping
through the air so earsplitting no earplug ever invented could dull the noise? What
about the inability to dodge exploding bombs and incessant gunfire as fragments
and bullets riveted anything, everything in sight? Can you see yourself heeding
the call to abandon ship only to find you are clinging to a life preserver in
the midst of burning oil with the last sounds you hear being your own screams
as your eyes literally disintegrate in their sockets?

Imagine a
scene of people running, screaming, turning this way, turning that way totally
confused, completely panic stricken for no visible clue led the way of which
way to turn for there was no way, no apparent way to escape the terror. Buildings
offered no hope of safety for the walls were rapidly crumbling burying beneath
their weight men, women, even children. For some, what began as a leisurely
Sunday morning drive ended...just like that, their life ENDED!Without regard toward any living thing –
plant, animal, human – life was consumed in an instance within flames of pure
hell.

AP Navy Photo

Do you get the picture? There was no
warning…

The Japanese
shocked the world with the unthinkable leaving behind close to 2,400 Americans
dead with another 1,100+ wounded. Recorded story after story fills page after
page of book after book in an effort to preserve the memory of the lives lost,
sacrificed at Pearl Harbor. A pivotal moment in America’s history led not to
annihilation but to an awakening…the undaunted strength of America.Audio playbacks capture the sounds, video and
film reproduce the sights but only those who survived can recall the smells. Those
who survived will never forget the sights, the sounds, or the smells of the
horror inflicted at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

In hopes of crippling
the United States Pacific Fleet, the Combined Japanese Fleet received orders to
attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and surrounding military targets. We never saw it
coming nor did they in America’s retaliation.

The element of surprise
Was the enemy’s plan
While watches were changing
Destiny played its hand

How could this be possible?
We were center stage
Our ships were mighty forceful
Our men—strong and brave

But there was no
warning…

An infamous airborne assault
Secretly designed to destroy on sight
Left a peaceful but great, nation
Awakened amid a horrible plight

Ships sank in their moorings
Capsized or were beached
Hundreds helped to save lives
Thousands were never reached

But there was no
warning…

—Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, 1941

Incredibly four years later
A decision was made
Retaliation was certain
Time to lift our façade

We called for surrender
Hoping peace could be made
Threat of destruction
Was the first hand played

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About Me

Sharla is a graduate of Troy State University and an educator with a flair for writing in poetic verse. Her latest book, Awakenings from Then ’til Now is available from Tate Publishing. It is dedicated to those who laid the foundation and established the platform for our American freedom: those who have served in the past, presently serve, or will serve our military forces in the future. A profound appreciation is extended for the sacrifice of these brave men and women who left or will leave their homes and family to ensure America’s freedom endures.

A grave price is being paid every moment of every day of the year for all the freedom America has to offer. Let us not forget those who have fought or are fighting for our nation; they are the epitome of the human spirit called freedom!